


Fall Into You

by highfalutin baby birb (fevered_dreams)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Happy Ending, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reincarnation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-05
Updated: 2018-08-15
Packaged: 2019-06-22 10:38:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 15,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15580107
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fevered_dreams/pseuds/highfalutin%20baby%20birb
Summary: Shiro and Lance meet each other across their lives to find one where they can finally be together without the hurt.Reincarnation AU ft. several alternate universe mini-stories, all centering around Shiro and Lance trying to fall and be in love.Chapter 1: Earth Ambassador Shiro meets Royal Court Dancer LanceChapter 2: Undine Lance meets human knight Shiro





	1. Chapter 1

The first time Shiro meets Lance, he is beautiful. Shiro is told quietly by Thace, the royal guard assigned to him, that the dancer's name is Lance, and he is Lord Zarkon's favorite.

And Shiro can see why.

Despite Lance's loose movements, uncoordinated tilt of his twirls, and rough landing of a haphazard jump, Shiro is entranced. It might be the way the translucent silks caress and furl around his body, or the gentle chimes of all the gold-encrusted jewels adorning his body. Maybe it's the way the lighting, affixed dutifully on the dancer, draws Shiro's eye to the stage.

Except, Shiro knows that it's actually the pretty glint of Lance's bright blue eyes and the unfairly endearing smile he throws at the audience, sheepish and sweet. It's done so casually that it's almost insulting because Shiro is far too affected by it.

Lord Zarkon, too, looks pleased. It's the first time Shiro has seen the Lord of the Galra Empire so content, and he grows even more satisfied once Lance's performance ends.

With a bow, Lance walks off the stage with a happy lilt to sit by Lord Zarkon. Shiro has never seen a court dancer, even a beloved one, sit so lax beside his lord. It's even stranger for one to have his own seat at the dining table amongst the royal court. And yet, everyone else remains unfazed.

Then, when Lord Zarkon rests his hand upon Lance's upper thigh as he recites his official toast, the slow swipe of his thumb warm and intimate, Shiro sees why.

Shiro knows little about Galrans except for the less savory parts of their history. A species driven by conquest who had subjugated several galaxies before they had been forcefully pushed back. Unsurprisingly, the disgraced Galra Empire had fallen into absolute chaos. Bloody civil wars had ensued as the rest of the universe willfully turned a blind eye, content to let the Galrans tear themselves apart. It was what they deserved, some historians had argued.

Except, they hadn't. Lord Zarkon had risen from the ashes of the once proud nation, armed with quintessence, _powerful_. The universe had trembled as the Galra Empire grew strong once more, empowered by the rallies of broken and desperate people.

But there was no new threat, no new war blazing on the horizon. Instead, Lord Zarkon welcomes the rest of the universe with open arms, quintessence available to all.

"The Galra Empire has fought long enough," Lord Zarkon had said. "It is time for peace."

Most Galrans had, eventually, come to embrace their newfound peace with vigor. Even angry souls grow weary. Others had branched off, bitter and hungry, following Lord Zarkon's son after being cast off. Shiro hears more and more whispers about Lotor's rise as time passes, and he wonders how much longer they can afford to ignore them.

Lord Zarkon remains as confident as ever, though, despite the increasingly loud rumors of an upcoming coup d'état. As such, he sees no harm in inviting ambassadors and officials from other worlds to dine with him, to show off how civilized Galrans have become and how trustworthy they can be.

Tonight, Shiro finds himself seated beside the Princess of Altea, Princess Allura. She, too, is beautiful and smells of freshly plucked apricots, but Shiro cannot tear his eyes away from the lean young man sitting next to Lord Zarkon. The gold of his jewelry beside the dusty black of Lord Zarkon's robes is also stunning, in its own way.

Lance is astonishingly casual with Lord Zarkon. From where Shiro sits, as far as he is from the royal table, he can still see the way Lance's hands flutter around him as he speaks, the way his leg fidgets under the table.

Lord Zarkon is hardly perturbed, though. He responds to Lance with gentle grace, and makes sure that Lance's glass is always filled to the brim. It's a sight that leaves Shiro feeling oddly bereft.

In the end, Lord Zarkon's attention is taken by his court advisors, and Lance is left to enjoy his meal. Shiro, quite frankly, is still watching him. From the corner of his eye, he can see Princess Allura sending mildly questioning looks his way, but he chooses to ignore them for now.

He especially forgoes responding to them when, suddenly, Lance flicks his eyes up to meet Shiro's. The look that passes between them is long and intense. Lance's face, for the first time that night, is still and watchful.

Shiro isn't sure what his own face looks like. Probably a bit laughable.

They stare at each other for a few more long moments, long enough that Shiro is a bit worried that tongues will wag.

However, none of that matters once Lance apparently finishes studying Shiro. His pensive look falls away, and he instead shoots Shiro a big smile, curious and charmed, and Shiro melts.

From the side, Shiro can hear Princess Allura hastily cough, covering what is undoubtedly a laugh. He can't even be offended, considering how ridiculously taken he is. He does make it a point to elbow her a touch as they both rise from their seats at the end of dinner. She elbows him back, and Shiro is glad that she most likely won't gossip around about Shiro eyeing Lord Zarkon's favorite.

Lord Zarkon, at least, seems to have neither noticed nor heard anything. During the meetings Shiro has with Lord Zarkon, there is no animosity or distrust. There is a hint of hesitance and a dash of distance, but that's to be expected. Earth had sent Shiro on a fool's errand to try to demand even more quintessence from the Garla Empire for the price of meager change. They both know it'll be for naught, but conversation between them is civil and enlightening regardless.

More importantly, Lord Zarkon doesn't seem at all bothered by how Shiro has been eyeing Lance recently. Lance doesn't dance during dinner every night, but he always does when an esteemed guest either comes or leaves. Each time, Shiro is aware that Lance is, quite frankly, not that great of a dancer. Nonetheless, he is mesmerized by each performance almost as intensely as Lord Zarkon himself. Lord Zarkon is incredibly fond as he watches Lance. So much so that Shiro is filled with an odd mix of guilt and familiarity towards him as he, too, admires Lance.

Outside of dinner, Shiro catches glimpses of Lance in the castle hallways every so often. Each time, their eyes catch, like a loose thread on a piece of wire - a sudden and sharp tug, unexpected and impossible to ignore. Each time, Lance smiles at him, and Shiro smiles back. No words pass between them, but Shiro feels as though something else deep makes its way across.

At least, he hopes for as much.

One day, Shiro stumbles upon a scene he is sure he's not supposed to see. He's lost. It's hard not to get lost in the large expanse of the castle halls. So, he doesn't mean to witness the cozy moment that unfolds in front of him. He doesn't even realize what's happening, at first, but his brain slowly catches up to take in the sight of Lance and Lord Zarkon whispering to one another, close and intimate.  
  
He has no idea what they're saying; they're too far away for that. However, he can see the way Lance's body relaxes at Lord Zarkon's touch, a gently caress over and up his arms and shoulders until a large hand finds home at the back of Lance's neck. Lance cocks his head to the side so he can nuzzle his cheek into the arm holding him close. Familiar.  
  
Shiro can also see the endeared expression in Lord Zarkon's eyes, so sweet it's intimidating, and the way Lord Zarkon dips his head down to meet Lance. It's almost comical, the size difference between them. Both Lance and Lord Zarkon have to strain themselves to get close, but, once they do, they share a light, chaste kiss that Shiro only spots for a second before he averts his eyes.  
  
This wasn't meant for him. The truth stings a lot, and yet it's still a sight that he can't bear to forget.  
  
Lord Zarkon stalks off soon afterwards without making any indication of having noticed Shiro. Lance, on the other hand, whips his head around to look Shiro's direction almost immediately after Lord Zarkon leaves.  
  
Like a fish gasping for breath, Shiro opens his mouth quickly, ready to spew flustered apologies. Lance, though, simply smiles at Shiro with a laugh on his lips, the same way he had greeted Shiro before time and time again.  
  
Shiro isn't sure what to make of it all, quite frankly.

And then, another day, they catch again in the halls. The sun has long since set, but the lights surrounding them are bright. The contrast between the darkness filtering through the large window behind Lance and the harsh lights highlights Lance's tanned skin beautifully.

"Shiro," Lance said. His posture is so easy that even Shiro feels more relaxed than he probably should be. "We meet again."

"Lance," Shiro echoes. "It's rare to see you out so late by yourself." So rare, in fact, that this is the first time that Shiro has seen it.

Lance just shrugs. "Zarkon gets a bit wary when there are so many visitors in the castle, but he seems to have calmed down a bit recently. I guess he thinks the batch of visiting officials this time around are trustworthy enough."

Shiro doesn't mention how odd it is that Lance refers to Lord Zarkon with such familiarity. Instead, he says, "I imagine the castle must be boring without a few visitors, though."

"Oh, yes, definitely! I'm glad you agree. Everyone else here gets so nervous about it." Lance pauses for a moment, eyes sliding quickly to peer out the window before snapping back onto Shiro's face. "Well, I guess they have good reason for it, with the defectors on the loose and all. Still, it gets boring here, especially now that I'm not allowed to leave very often."

"Because of the defectors?"

"Yeah."

Silence washes over them. It's calm though, like the gentle lapping of warm beach waves as Shiro lays over them, lazily afloat and reveling in the simplicity. This is the first time Shiro has spoken to Lance, and it's so fondly easy.

Lance's voice cuts through the water smooth and light. "Say, Shiro, you're a pilot, right? I've heard that you're probably one of Earth's best."

"And where did you hear that from?"

"Even the Galra like to share rumors every once in awhile."

With a chuckle, Shiro says, "Even though this might make me sound a bit conceited, I do think that I am pretty fine pilot." He debates saying more before he finally goes for it. "My great-great-grandfather was one of the pilots who spearheaded the assault against the Galra Empire centuries ago."

Instead of becoming offended, Lance just hums in acknowledgement. "What's it like? Piloting a ship, especially an intergalactic one? I've heard that they can get pretty complicated."

"They're not too bad, once you get the hang of them. Besides, most of it is knowing how to use the auto-pilot function."

"Would you show me? Your ship?"

Shiro wants to. He really does. Looking at Lance's hopeful and eager eyes fixed so intently on Shiro is almost too much.

At Shiro's hesitance, Lance continues speaking. "Zarkon used to take me with him when he used to go one patrols and trips to nearby planets. He even let me help pilot a few times, but those were all smaller ships. I've never been in one built for intergalactic travel before." He pauses, eyes downcast and hands fidgety. "Well, I haven't seen the _cockpit_ of an intergalactic ship, at least."

Shiro's curious about what Lance means by that, but he doesn't ask. "I don't know if it would be a good idea for me to take you to see my ship. I'm pretty sure me suddenly taking a member of the castle with me to my ship without consulting anyone wouldn't be appreciated."

"Please? I won't tell anyone; I promise! Can we at least look at the outside of your ship?" Lance asks, leaning forward with his hands clasped in front of him, as if in a fervor prayer.

Shiro likes to think of himself as a cool-headed and sensible person. As such, he knows that he should say no and try to entertain Lance with stories of space travel, instead, even if he knows that would be far less satisfying for Lance.

Maybe it's that thought that has Shiro opening his mouth and saying, "I guess it won't hurt to just show you my ship," instead. He regrets the words a bit once they fall out of his mouth, but Lance's smile is more than enough to make his regret feel like nothing more than one of the trillions of stars in the sky.

They sneak through the halls not-so-quietly. Their steps are not particularly light, and, every so often, Lance will turn his head to tell Shiro about this and that, flinging his head back lightly as the words roll over his shoulders.

"Oh, I bet you have a beautiful ship," Lance whispers excitedly, turning a sharp corner. "I can't wait to see it. What kind of stuff do you use to power it?"

"It uses purified crystals mined from a Balmera to run," Shiro responds, words tumbling carelessly as he focuses most of his attention on keeping up with Lance. Despite having shorter legs, Lance moves surprisingly fast. Shiro supposes he really is just that excited to go see the ships. It's a cute sight to behold, and Shiro wishes it weren't.

For a moment, Shiro wonders if Lord Zarkon would let Lance go on expeditions and other planetary trips with Shiro. He quickly banishes such an absurd thought and resolves to not let it creep in again. Habits like those are dangerous.

He doesn't have enough time to continue distracting himself because, soon enough, they're at one of the massive docks, and now Shiro is distracted by how quickly Lance flutters through the room to be concerned with much else. It looks like this hangar houses all the ships of the foreign officials because each ship looks wildly different from each other and nothing at all like the standard Galra ships.

Lance, in response, is absolutely enamored.

"Oh, I wonder who _this_ ship belongs to," Lance coos, quickly walking around a sleek ship that looks like a castle in its own right. "I would love to see this one, too."

"I think that's the one Princess Allura and her royal advisor came in," Shiro responds, quickly bounding down stairs to reach Lance. "And you are seeing it, the same way you're going to see _the outside_ of my ship."

Lance pouts, lips drawn thin in disappointment, but he doesn't argue. In fact, just seeing even more of the ships there during their walk to Shiro's is more than enough to brighten the mood again.

Maybe Lord Zarkon should consider getting Lance his own ship, if - once the rebellion issue is settled. And then maybe Shiro could visit Lance every so often if their exploration routes ever crossed.

There he went again. More wishful thinking that would lead to more hurt than good. Still, Shiro couldn't stop from hoping.

Compared to many of the other ships there, the one from Earth that Shiro was entrusted with seems almost embarrassingly shabby in comparison. It's definitely laughable in comparison to the Altean ship. Regardless, Lance is fascinated.

"So this is an Earth intergalactic ship," Lance whispers, moving to gently brush his fingers against its side. There are plenty of little pockets of chipped paint and scratches here and there, and Lance makes sure to let his fingers rove over all of them. "It looks very utilitarian."

That wasn't necessarily the kind of observation Shiro had expected from Lance, but it sends him into a fit of hearty laughter anyway. "That's for sure. Earth has a tendency to only equip expensive things like ships with the bare minimum. Of course, that usually means it costs them more later with all the repairs."

"That sounds rough. Do you have to get your ship fixed on other planets a lot?"

"Plenty of times, but Earth is surprisingly good at maintaining friendly connections with other planets, so it's usually not a problem."

Lance makes a small noise of acknowledgment before he continues examining the exterior of Shiro's ship. It only lasts for a few minutes, however, before a voice rings out through the hangar.

"Hey, who's there? This is a restricted area!"

Shiro panics, cursing himself for his impulsivity, but Lance just sighs. "Looks like time's up." Lance whispered.

Calmly, Lance stands up, beckoning for Shiro to rise with him. Shiro isn't so sure that it was a good idea, but, with a glance at Lance's encouraging smile, he figures it at least wouldn't land him in jail.

"It's just me!" Lance calls out. "I'm down by the Earth vessel!"

Without delay, the interloper, a Galra royal guard, makes his way to where Lance and Shiro are. He briefly glances at Shiro with mild curiosity, but ultimately doesn't seem too concerned with Shiro's presence considering how quickly he moves his attention to Lance.

"Lance," the guard begins, "you know you can't be here like this. It's not safe right now." His voice sounds tired, as if he's had this conversation before. He probably has.

"I know, I know," Lance says. "But I was here with Shiro. They say he's one of Earth's best pilots and fighters, you know."

Apparently, rumors about his brief stint as the Earth's champion have also made their way to the Galra Empire.

"Even so, there's only so much one man can do if an invasion were to happen right now. It's not safe to be here, even with him. These are not safe times for any of us."

"Alright, I get it," Lance says, sad and resigned. "We'll go back. Shiro can escort me back to my room, so you can go back to your regular patrol. Right, Shiro?" He looks at Shiro so expectantly that Shiro can't even imagine saying no.

The guard sighs but lets them go without complaint. Shiro has no idea where Lance's room is, so Shiro's not so much escorting Lance back as much as he is following behind him like a lost puppy. In fact, he's probably going to need his own escort to make it back to his own assigned quarters.

When they reach what Shiro assumes is Lance's room, he expects a simple goodbye before the whole night is over and forgotten.

He doesn't expect Lance to say, "So, do you want to meet here again the next time you're free? Anytime after dinner would be ideal, just let me know somehow. A hand signal, or something."

"I got the distinct impression that we were to not do something like this again," Shiro responds firmly once his stunned confusion passes.

"Oh, it's fine. If we go a little earlier someone else will be on patrol, and we probably won't get caught. Antok is way too good at his job," Lance answers back, breezy and light like the a cloud of cotton candy.

"He has a point, though. About the potential for a Galran rebellion. It's dangerous to stray like that."

Lance pouts again, this time at Shiro, all while turning his sanguine charm up to maximum and beyond. Shiro swallows a heavy dry feeling down in the face of it, but he resolves himself to not succumb to it this time, feeling absurdly proud of himself when he doesn't. Making simple decisions never used to be so hard, but Lance is throwing a wrench right in Shiro's face, and Shiro just can't get the timing right to catch it in time before it hits.

Upon realizing that Shiro truly has no intentions of accompanying Lance on his space vessel excursions, Lance drops his act and sighs.

"I hope this means you won't be going there alone, either. That's even more dangerous," Shiro adds.

"Fine, fine. I understand, _mom_. I won't wander around by myself." Lance's words are petulant, but his expression is laced with a disappointment that tears away at Shiro despite how much he knows it's all for the best.

"I'm sorry, Lance. If things were different, I'd love to show you around my ship."

Lance looks at Shiro, averts his eyes with a light inhale, before looking back at Shiro. "Would you mind just telling me about your ship and the stuff you've seen, then? The other visitors don't talk to me much. The only other one is Princess Allura and Coran, her advisor, but they're both pretty busy." Lance's voice dips into a whisper before he continues speaking. "I think they're working with Zarkon to come up with some kind of treaty, so that's taking up a lot of their time."

Shiro is sure that they're wary of being around Lance for too long because of how much Lord Zarkon seems to adore him. Shiro should also approach Lance the same way, if he were being smart, but he's quickly coming to the conclusion that perhaps he's not sensible as he once thought.

That realization deepens when Shiro finds himself agreeing. "Sure, I can do that. I shouldn't be too busy while I'm here, after all."

As Shiro had predicted, Lance is nowhere near as pleased with stories compared to the ship itself, but it's more than nothing.

Suddenly, Shiro finds himself visiting Lance's room almost every night, and he regales him with plenty of stories. He tells Lance about a few of the planets he's visited and what the inhabitants were like. He talks about the Olkari who, despite being so technologically advanced that it looked like magic to Shiro, were more than happy to welcome Shiro and the Galaxy Garrison with open arms. He talks about the gentle space caterpillars and how his friend had taken some as pets. Shiro talks about Arus and its Arusian people, too, which Lance joins him in reminiscing over.

"Oh, I went to Arus once!" Lance exclaims. "Zarkon had gone on official business, and he had brought me along. It was a good thing, too, because all the Arusians were so scared of the Galrans that they would only speak to me for the first week of our visit. They were cute, though, and so much fun to hang out with."

Shiro also mentions some of the less savory species he's come across, like a Yalex and Weblum. Lance drinks it all up, especially when Shiro describes the Balmera and its people to Lance.

"The planet is alive?" Lance asks, eyes wide and searching for more.

"Yeah. The Balmeran's have a symbiotic relationship with the Balmera they live on. They're even able to communicate with each other. Every once in awhile, a member of Altean Royalty will visit and perform a ritual that helps heal the Balmera as thanks for the live and crystals it produces. I was able to see one of the rituals, once. It was really quite stunning."

"Oh, wow," Lance breathes. "I would've loved to see that. I wonder if Princess Allura has ever performed the ritual before."

Lance's gaze is far and wistful, wanting for something beyond the Galra Castle walls. Shiro wonders exactly how long he's been here for him to be so ready to leave.

One day, despite his better judgement once again because Lance's blue eyes and sanguine smile apparently addle his mind, Shiro decides he wants to sate his curiosity.

"Were you born here? You don't... appear to be a Galran," Shiro says slowly."

They're both seated on Lance's bed. His room is large and well-decorated with its own en suite bathroom and high ceilings. When he had first started visiting, Shiro had sat himself down on one of the couches in the room, desperate for more distance because of how much he wants less. Lance had insisted Shiro sit on the bed with him, and Shiro was only able to hold off for a few nights before he had given in and settled down onto the bed with Lance.

So, here they are. In response to Shiro's question, Lance gives Shiro that same unreadable look that he had the first night. It has Shiro's hackles rising, and the junction between flesh and his metal arm begins to itch furiously.

Right as Shiro starts to open his mouth and gulp down a heavy breath to string out a series of apologies, Lance's expression softens into something soft and vulnerable. "Can't you tell? I'm a human, just like you."

Shiro doesn't know how to respond. Relations between Earth and the Galra Empire have been perfectly civil for quite some time, but their people haven't made many attempts to mingle. He supposes that, perhaps, Lance is just an exception.

Lance shakes his head, though, as if in response to Shiro's thoughts. "I think it's easy to forget, sometimes, with how nice Zarkon is to me. Even I forget sometimes. But, " Lance's voice chokes for a second, and he tilts his head to look at Shiro solemnly. "I was a gift, you know."

Shiro opens his mouth, closes it, tries to open it again, but nothing comes out for quite some time. He finally speaks and croaks out, "But Earth doesn't do stuff like that. They never have."

"Maybe not Earth. But Osruk has."

Osruk. A planet at the far edge of the Milky Way Galaxy that housed a number of humans after their ancestors had parted ways from Earth, loosely part of the Galaxy Alliance but not often heard from.

"A gift?" Shiro asks gently. He probably shouldn't have, but he's already lost all sensibility while in Lance's presence.

"A show of peace to help butter negotiations for more quintessence." Lance shrugs, nonchalant, but he fingers ball into his sheets tight. "I don't know if it worked. I never bothered to ask, didn't really want to know. They presented me as a dancer even though I can't actually dance all that well, but Zarkon just ran with it and kept me as a court dancer. It's not a bad life, really. Like I said, Zarkon is nice, and so is everyone else."

"Do you ever want to go back?" Shiro asks.

"To Osruk? No, no way. If my family were still here, yeah, but they're - " Lance stutters and shakes into the next word "dead. There's nothing there for me anymore. But, sometimes, I'd like to go off and visit other planets and galaxies. For awhile, I did with Zarkon, like I mentioned before, but things are too dicey for much of that nowadays."

Without thinking, Shiro leans forward, tilting his head down to better meet Lance's face. He misses the blue eyes more than he should, more than what's good for both of them.

"He loves you," Shiro whispers. Shiro doesn't specify who 'he' is, but he knows Lance knows who he is.

"I think so too," Lance whispers back, "but I think it's more the way a person loves his pet. It's sincere, but it can only go so deep."

"And you, then? How do you feel about him?"

Lance sighs, cocking his head to the side, eyes far away and gazing out at the swirling cosmos outside the window. "The way a pet loves his owner, I guess. Sometimes, I wish there was more, but I just can't muster up anything else."

Shiro doesn't respond. He doesn't know what to say, anyway. He's still learning forward, though, until Lance suddenly flops his head down into Shiro lap with another tired sigh and tired eyes. "He told me once that I reminded him of his late wife."

"I see," is all Shiro knows what to say.

"So," Lance drawls, his hooded eyes sliding over up to Shiro's face, "it's fine. To touch me."

Sputtering, Shiro almost pulls himself away from Lance. It's difficult, however, because he doesn't want to jostle Lance too much. Lance just uses that to his advantage, surging upwards to bring his face so close to Shiro's that the warmth radiating off of Lance is so intense that it leaves Shiro lightheaded.

"Don't you want to?" Lance asks, nervous energy seeping into his voice at Shiro's reluctance. "Or have I been reading the mood wrong?"

"I want to," Shiro hisses eagerly because he can't lie in Lance's face. "I just don't know if it's a good idea."

"And I'm telling you that it is," Lance says, pushing himself towards Shiro even more. "I promise."

Shiro is sure he should refuse simply for the fact that he is here on official business and not to get cozy with Lord Zarkon's star dancer who can't dance all that well. Except, he doesn't.

Except, he leans forward in time with Lance, and the ensuing kiss isn't some magical wonderland feeling that covers him in with honeycomb caresses and even sweeter promises. It's still amazing, though, like molten syrup that Shiro melts into with heady ease.

Lance lips are warm and soft, smooth and willing. He lays back, and Shiro is more than happy to let himself be pulled down with him. Their clothes are shed quickly enough, and Shiro can barely bring himself to touch Lance much because he's so entranced by the way Lance looks under the dim lighting.

That's fine, though. Lance is there to bring Shiro's attention back to the matter at hand by running his hands reverently across Shiro's chest over his shoulders. Shiro, in turn, lavishes Lance's legs with attention as they continue kissing.

Shiro grows impatient soon, though, and he opts to slide his roving hands from Lance's inner thighs to his already-leaking cock. He fists it for some time, reveling in Lance's pleased moans, before brining his head down and wrapping his mouth around it, slowly and then all at once.

"Oh, _fuck_ ," Lance groans, his legs briefly snapping closed around Shiro's head before shakily splaying his legs back open and gently fisting his hand in Shiro's hair. Still, Shiro can feel the way his legs tremble every so often, and it is everything.

He continues sucking Lance off with single-minded diligence until Lance tells him to stop through a needy whine. Shiro debates not listening and simply continuing until Lance comes, but he eventually pulls off just so he can see Lance's face properly.

And what a good decision that was.

Lance's tanned skin is even more enticing with the dark red flush that spreads from his flustered face down to this deep collarbones. It's so nice, in fact, that Shiro can't help but give each of them a quick kiss.

Lance huffs out a breathless laugh at that before turning around to rummage through his bedside drawer, returning with a bottle of lube. Wordlessly, he pours a generous helping onto his fingers before turning his perky little ass towards Shiro so he can give Shiro a show of fingering himself.

Shiro figures he's already being greedy enough just by being here so, despite how much he wants to be the one opening Lance up with his own fingers, he settles back and lets himself enjoy the show. Lance moves quickly with excitement, but he's still careful and liberal with how much lube he uses. His moans and groans fill the room, further increasing when Shiro ends up being greedy again by scooting forward so he can again wrap a loose fist around Lance's cock from behind.

"Does it feel good?" Shiro asks, pressing his chest against Lance's back just to feel more of him. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, yes, it's _great_ ," Lance mewls, pushing back gladly. "It'd be even better with your dick inside me."

Shiro huffs out a laugh. "I can't say that I don't agree."

Once Lance has opened himself up with three fingers to his own satisfaction, he turns around, condom in hand this time to wrap it around Shiro's dick, Lance's warm hand stroking up and down it all the while.

After a few more strokes, Lance drags Shiro down with him, spreading his legs even wider. Shiro is more than happy to take the invitation. He rubs the length of his cock against Lance's a few times before Lance's desperate moans all but demand that he hurry up. Shiro, once again, has no qualms with that.

He lines himself up with Lance's entrance and pushes in slowly, throwing his head back at the feeling of tight warmth, smooth and slick from all the lube. Lance, too, throws his head back against the pillows, giving Shiro clear access to his throat that Shiro can't ignore.

As he suckles and presses heavy kisses against Lance's straining neck, Shiro gradually increases the speed and intensity of his thrusts. Lance seems almost as delighted as Shiro does, based on how tightly he grips his legs around Shiro's waist.

Shiro's thrusts become progressively more frantic and sporadic, and he can't keep his mouth on Lance's neck with how much the urge to moan overtakes him. Lance, too, is letting out a beautiful string of pleased groans, but they're muffled when Lance pulls Shiro down by the back of his neck into a kiss so keen that it leaves the back of Shiro's eyes burning for more.

Neither of them can give much more, though. Moments later, they're both coming, so acutely that Shiro is left with just enough foresight to angle his fall so that he doesn't completely crush Lance. He still can't avoid landing haphazardly on Lance's side, but Lance doesn't seem particularly bothered.

They lay together for some time in silence, save their heavy breathing, before Lance gets up from the bed on shaky legs. He pads quietly to his bathroom and returns with a damp washcloth for himself and Shiro. Shiro cleans himself with ease and goes to reach for his clothes afterwards.

Lance stops Shiro when he reaches for his shirt, a sleepy yet sad look on his face. "Wanna stay the night?"

Shiro has to swallow down the rising affection before he can speak. He's making all the wrong decisions, or what he thinks are the wrong decisions, but they _feel_ so right that he can't stop himself. "Ok."

It also helps that Lance's bed is ridiculously comfortable.

Lance grins back big and bright, and Shiro finds himself smiling in return. They fall asleep quickly, and, when Shiro wakes up, he belatedly notices the deep hickey smeared on Lance's neck. Luckily, no one seems to care much, especially Lord Zarkon, which is really what matters. He sometimes glances at Shiro with long, drawn-out and fierce eyes, piercing and powerful, but he neither says nor does anything. And, every time, Shiro lets out a breath of relief that he wasn't even aware he was holding in.

So, Lance and Shiro continue to find each other almost every evening. Sometimes, they just talk, their conversations slowly drifting away from solely space exploration stories to more mundane, yet still enjoyable topics. Other times, they do fall back into bed together. Each time, it gets easier and more comfortable, more laughs and jokes finding their way in, yet never any less enjoyable.

And then, every once in awhile, strange snippets will find their way into their conversations.

"You know, Zarkon offered to let me go," Lance murmurs one night, drowsy from the booze he drank earlier from Princess Allura's birthday celebration. "Not until I was older, though. I first came here when I was twelve, so for a few years all I really did was just wander around and have everyone else take care of me. When I turned nineteen, though, Zarkon told me I was free to go, if I wanted to."

"But you didn't want to?" Shiro asks quietly. His fingers, the flesh ones, run through Lance's hair, nails scraping lightly against his scalp every so often because he knows Lance enjoys it.

"No, I didn't. Where would I have gone? I don't want to go back to Osruk, and there's nowhere else I have any attachment to." Lance tilts his head, nuzzling his face into Shiro's thigh. "And I couldn't leave Zarkon like that. Zarkon's not a mean guy. He's just lonely."

Shiro's fingers still for a second before resuming their leisure venture through Lance's hair.

"But, you know, I suppose now it wouldn't be such a bad idea to travel around the galaxy now. I would still be able to visit him every once in awhile." Lance's words peter off haltingly, unsure and looking for something to help keep steady. He doesn't exactly sound like he's found it when he starts speaking again, but he continues on regardless, hesitant but determined. "And, if you were close by, too, I could visit you."

Shiro feels choked again, the corner of his eyes burn, and he has to consciously stop himself from painfully tightening his fingers in Lance's hair. "Yeah, that would be nice."

It's a wistful dream, considering the increasingly fervent rumors surrounding the rebel Garlan's, but it still something nice to hopelessly sink his teeth into until it bleeds out.

After a while, as Shiro's time there draws ever closer, they start heading towards one of the training rooms to spar together. There's usually at least one other person there, but they usually don't pay Lance and Shiro much attention.

Shiro wins every time, having rightfully earned the title of Champion of Earth, but Lance is a good fighter in his own right. He's fairly skilled with close combat, enough that he's able to keep up with Shiro quite well despite his clearly smaller frame. However, Shiro notices that Lance's skills truly shine during long-distance combat. In contrast to his dancing, Lance is extremely precise with a rifle, and he's even quicker to aim and shoot than most of the elite gunmen that Shiro had trained alongside at the Garrison.

All of that ends up coming in handy when, ten days later, on the day before Shiro is scheduled to leave, the Galran rebels stage a surprise attack on the castle. Shiro has no idea where Lord Zarkon is, but he thinks he catches a glimpse of Princess Allura and Coran fleeing. He manages to hope for their safety for a sliver of a second before his thoughts are derailed and distracted by Lance.

Lance barrels through the crumbling hall, soot on his clothes and in his hair, breath heaving and eyes wild. They soften a touch when he spots Shiro but not enough.

"Shiro," Lance gusts, grabbing onto his metal arm frantically. Shiro had avoided letting Lance touch his prosthetic much before, afraid that Lance would recoil at the physical feeling of Shiro's failure, but he doesn't show any sign of discomfort. Of course, there are other much more pressing things assailing Lance's attention at the moment. "You have to get out of here I'll lead you through the hidden tunnels to your ship."

Shiro nods dumbly and lets Lance lead him without question. He knows that there's nothing more he can do here compared to what he would be able to do on another Galaxy Alliance planet.

When they reach the hidden tunnel, they face few obstacles aside from losing their footing with the way the castle rumbles and roars beneath them. Before that, though, they're confronted by a number of Galran rebels, masked and armed with a form of quintessence that Shiro has never seen before. Thankfully, Lance is able to take out most of them from afar before they're able to be too much of a threat. Shiro takes care of the stragglers, and then they're off again.

They reach the hangar faster than Shiro had anticipated, and his mind almost reels from how efficiently Lance is working the room controls. He should want to leave as soon as possible, but the thought of leaving  _Lance_ has his chest feeling warped and broken.

"Lance!" Shiro calls out as he checks over his ship's main control. All looks well, and the completely filled fuel tank should be enough for him to hyperdrive away to safety before the rebels can get to him. "You're coming with me, right?"

"Of course!" Lance responds. His face is obscured by the room's control system, though, and his voice far.

Shiro decides to not think about it too much. It's hard to, anyway, with how the castle shakes him. He just settles himself into his ship and knows, in the pit of the hopeless wish he kept locked away for the past few weeks, that he's going to be leaving alone.

And, when the ramp his ship is resting on rises without Lance there with him, Shiro can't even deny it anymore. Instead, he steels himself and tells himself that he won't cry, not yet.

"I'm sorry, Shiro. I wish I could go with you. I really do." Lance's voice is covered in static over the intercom, but it sounds beautiful in spite of it. "But I just... can't leave him. Not like this. Even if he'd want me to, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." His face, too, is blurred, but Shiro can still see the way Lance's lips tremble and the tears forming at the corners of his eyes. It hurts to watch, just seeing Lance like that feels like pins and needles scraping away at this throat and lungs, but Shiro refuses to look away.

"I know," is all Shiro says in return, the only words he has time to say before he's flying off, leaving behind the enemies pursuing him and Lance.

On the next planet he reaches, it takes a few days for the news to get to him. When it does, though, he discovers that Princess Allura and several other diplomats and officials are safe. Lord Zarkon, though, is declared dead, and the Galra Empire is in disarray and in need of help. For a few more days, Shiro hopes that, perhaps, Lance managed to survive, but he knows not.

After awhile, he just hopes that they weren't alone. He doesn't want to imagine Lance dying along. Sometimes, as the years go by, he thinks of Lance when he looks up at the stars in the skies in wonders which planet Lance would've enjoyed visiting the most.

The first time Shiro meets Lance, he is not in love. Still, he misses him, and it hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please let me know what you think!
> 
> if you want to talk to me or are interested in a writing commission, you can find me on [tumblr](https://fever-d-dreams.tumblr.com)


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Lance meets Shiro, he is beautiful. He is also bleeding into Lance's ravine, greatly irritating the fish as he lays dying. The best-tasting algae doesn't grow in waters polluted by human blood, after all. It only tolerates the blood of freshly-hatched fowl and young, wingless pixies.

They're even more distraught by the sounds of not-so-distant fighting, though. Lance figures it's another one of those mortal fights, battles, wars, _whatever_ , as if they never get tired of killing each other.

"Lance, I don't know if it's such a good idea for you to go up to him," Hunk whispers urgently, trying to distract Lance away from the dying human with an array of pleas. "You know what humans are like."

"But Hunk," Lance says, following the stream of blood upstream, "he's hurt. We can't just sit back and do nothing while he bleeds all over my ravine."

"You say that like humans are worth the effort," Hunk grumbles, following Lance quickly by the water's edge. Lance isn't sure whether Hunk's insistence on following him is due to curiosity or caution, but he figures Hunk must not be that afraid of the human if he's still trailing alongside Lance. "Besides, how do you even know he's still alive?"

Lance dives his head underwater before propelling himself past a weed bed with a quick stroke of his tail before answering. "I can feel it - his pulse. It's weak, but it still beats clear through the water."

"I still think this is a bad idea."

"But he looks so handsome," Lance says, shooting a sly grin Hunk's direction. "Did you see the way his body looked as he tumbled down the side of the cliff over there?"

"I saw it, but I didn't think bother taking the time to pay attention to what his body looked like. I feel like most wouldn't at the sight of a man tumbling to his near death."

"Your loss, then."

They reach the man soon enough, and he is even more attractive up close. Even with his harried face pressed down into the dirt, Lance can see how sharp his jaw is, the strong line of his nose, and the scar running across it that adds the bit of character that Lance finds lacking in most humans. Not to mention, his body really is nice, tight and toned with just the right amount of bulk.

He is definitely dying, though. Even during Lance's short swim to get to him, the man's pulse had already weakened to a tiny, erratic thump, desperate to hang on and so pitiful.

Still, Lance can feel determination in the way the heartbeats reverberate through the water. The man wants to live, and who is Lance to deny him such a humble wish?

"Hunk, we have to do something," Lance whispers, voice serious as he looks up at Hunk with big, pleading eyes.

Hunk furrows his brows, opens his mouth, tilts his head, and closes his mouth before opening it again to let out a heavy sigh. "Fine. Do you have any good jewels to enchant?"

"I have a number things lying around here we can try out."

"Alright then, let's hurry and get this over with. The poor guy doesn't look like he has much longer," Hunk says. Despite his flippant words, he's already carefully rolling the man over so he can place a heavy hand on the still-bleeding wound in an attempt to stifle the flow.

Lance quickly dives down to the bottom of his ravine to collect a heavy handful of some of the gems he has there. He collects rubies, sapphires, all kinds of opals, alexandrite, peridot, and so much more. In the end, none of them resonate with the man except for a chunk of black diamond that had whirled into Lance's waters in the middle of a hurricane decades ago.

Hunk and Lance grace it with their magic: Hunk's earth to support and steady the man's muscles, including his heart, and Lance's water to help the blood flow through instead of out of his body easier. It would've been more effective with some wind to stir the breath in his lungs, but they don't have the time to wait for Pidge.

Lance rests the black diamond inside the man's mouth and watches as it melts into a heavy black ooze that slowly slithers don't his throat. Silence engulfs them, a cruel and teasing guest, as Hunk and Lance wait for the man to, hopefully, awaken.

Minutes pass, then some more, and the human does not stir.

"I guess we were too late," Hunk says. "What do we do with him now?"

"He's still alive," Lance whispers, eyes still affixed upon the stranger's face.

"Even so, if the magic hasn't taken yet, there's not much hope for him."

Lance doesn't respond for some time. Instead, he floats his fingers down onto the man's pale face. He is still warm, and his heart yet beats, but it's not much stronger than before. Hunk is probably right. He usually is in these types of situations, but Lance doesn't want to believe it this time.

"I'll just give him a burial in the ravine," Lance finally says, soft and sad. "It'll be easier that way. Besides, this _is_ where he died."

Except, the man is not dead. He wasn't dead before, but now he is clearly still alive from the way his body trembles from the weight his heaving breath. His eyelids flutter frantically as he thrashes, body absorbing the rest of the black diamond. When he opens his eyes, they shine dark and resilient like the black diamond now glittering through his veins, and they look straight at Lance.

"Oh," the man says, breathless and confused, "I guess there really are angels in Heaven."

No one speaks for quite some time. Hunk just gives Lance a _look_ that he doesn't appreciate while the human continues to stare at him. Lance hasn't been looked at so intently by someone so attractive in quite some time, so he doesn't really know how to react. Though, if he were being honest, it's not like he minds the attention.

Still, now is not the time to be basking in the gaze of a handsome man when said man is still clearly delusional and in need of attention. "What?" Lance finally says, drifting away from the water's edge just a bit so he can reel in his wandering thoughts. He blames it on the fact that he is unused to interacting with humans, as opposed to the fact that it makes him feel effervescent to have this man look at him with so much slack-jawed admiration. "Have you never seen an undine before?"

"Undine?" the man asks, tilting his head to the side like a puppy, and it is a little offsensive that someone as handsome him has the gall to look so cute.

"He doesn't even know what an undine is," Hunk scoffs, leaning back to fold his arms across his chest with an unimpressed scowl. "Probably doesn't know what a gnome is, either."

"At least he isn't doing anything bad." Lance glances back at the human to see that he is still, in fact, utterly taken aback.

The man is still staring at Lance, but now, as opposed to fixing his gaze solely onto Lance's face, his eyes are darting all over, skimming Lance's figure down below the water's surface. They move rapidly over Lance's tail for some time, but they eventually find their way back to Lance's eyes.

Once more, Lance is taken by how pretty the man's eyes are. With how dark they are, Lance feels himself nearly sink into him like a newborn undine learning how to swim through a thick bog for the first time. He's only startled out of the haze of old memories by the man's next words.

"Oh," the human says again, "you're a mermaid."

Spell broken, all Lance can do is gape while Hunk barks out a harsh laugh.

"Didn't I just say that I'm an undine?" Lance asks, scales rising in anger into fine, sharp points. They're dangerous, but Lance preens to himself because he knows that they are still _stunning_. "I am not one of those cannibals you find out in the sea who going around causing trouble just for fun!" He emphasizes his point with a pointed thump of his tail, sending a drift of cool water splashing all over the attractive, but rude, human.

In hindsight, maybe doing so to a weak little human that he had just rescued wasn't the best idea, but Lance can't be bothered to listen to common sense after being so thoroughly insulted.

At least the man has the decency to look offended. "I'm sorry. I saw the tail, and I just..." his voice dies out as he looks at Lance through soaked bangs, for some reason white compared to the rest of his black hair. "I've only ever heard of mermaids."

"See? The humans really have forgotten about us, all while taking advantage of what we do for them,” Hunk says.

Lance just gives Hunk another annoyed look. Hunk looks back, and their staring match lasts until the stranger speaks again.

“I’m sorry for offending you,” the human continues. Lance doesn’t want to forgive him so easily, but the way he looks at Lance so earnestly with that handsome face of his is just too hard to resist.

"That's alright," Lance replies, willing his scales down flat. From the corner of his eye, he can see Hunk rolling his eyes at Lance, but Lance continues speaking regardless. "I know how clueless you humans can be about what goes on around you."

Lance expects the man to become offended, as most humans tend to do as one of the most prideful beings Lance has ever encountered, but he doesn't. On the contrary, he simply flashes an amused smile Lance's way. "Well, I won't argue with you about that."

Somehow, this strange man has become even more unnecessarily attractive to Lance.

"My name is Shiro, by the way," the human - Shiro - says. He spares a few glances Hunk's direction before slowly inching closer to the edge of the ravine.

Now that he's not haphazardly sprawled all over himself, Lance can see that Shiro has quite the unique prosthetic. It's metal, but moves just the same as his flesh ones. Lance has never seen anything quite like it, and he wonders just how long it truly has been since he's last had a real conversation with a human,

"And you are?" Shiro continues.

"My name is Lance, and that guy over there is Hunk," Lance replies, much to Hunk's annoyance. Hunk'll get over it, though. Lance is sure of that, especially because he knows that Hunk's also curious about what the humans are up to these days.

"Thank you - both of you - for saving me. Or, at least I assume it was the two of you?"

Hunk nods, and Lance drifts by silently. Shiro may be clueless, but at least he's far more polite than plenty of other humans Lance has come across over the centuries.

Even after having called Lance a mermaid.

"You were injured pretty badly when we found you. They were definitely caused by something strong," Lance says, letting the gentle currents push him closer to Shiro. "We were convinced that you wouldn't make it, even after using our magic on you."

Shiro chuckles as he pushes himself up off the moist soil beneath him. It's a slow process, and Lance can see Hunk move to help Shiro up, but Shiro eventually manages to lift himself up. "It wasn't the first time I've almost died, and I'm sure it won't be the last. I'd prefer near death experiences over actually dying any day."

It's not an actual answer to the question that Lance hadn't quite asked, so Lance doesn't push it. However, he does make note of the way the darkness encroaches over the vermilion hues of the setting sky. If Lance recalls correctly, humans didn't exactly do well at night because they couldn't see properly in the dark, or something as equally ridiculous as that.

"You know, it'll be dark soon." Lance lets his eyes roam over Shiro once more. He may no longer be on the verge of death, but Shiro's clearly in no state to hobbling through the woods alone until he reaches the nearest human civilization. "Do you have someone who can help escort you to the nearest town?"

"No, I'd hope not," Shiro answers. Lance was never the biggest fan of vague answers, and he lets Shiro know as much by giving him another splash, gentler this time, and an unamused look. "I mean, I did have someone with me, but I told him to escape when we got ambushed. So, I hope he's not nearby and is somewhere safe instead."

Apparently, Shiro was not only polite but also respectable. Once again, Lance can tell that Hunk is sending him warning glances that basically say, 'You better not be thinking of doing what I think you're thinking of doing'.

And, of course, Lance does just that.

"Well, you can stay with me for awhile until you're properly recovered," Lance says, lazily swimming closer to where Shiro is barely holding himself together. "Even if you did have someone with you, I doubt that you're in much condition to go far. I know that the nearest human gathering is more than a day's walk from here."

"Lance," Hunk whines. Lance ignores him. They both win, in their own weird way; Lance doesn't have to argue with Hunk, and Hunk doesn't have to argue back.

"I don't know if I'll be able to stay with you here," Shiro responds slowly, sneaking wary glances at the ravine. "I'm not a mer - uh, undine like you are."

"Oh, that's no problem. I have a place on land that we can stay at."

Shiro stares with baffled, bright eyes as Lance lifts himself out of the water to peel his tail off. Hunk stares, too, but his eyes are filled with more exasperation than confused awe.

Lance doesn't usually feel self conscious being naked without his tail, but Shiro's too gorgeous to not feel self conscious. So, as soon as his tail is off and in Hunk's safe hands, after immediately grabbing it due his likely fear of Shiro running away with it, Lance dives back into the water to pluck some long river weeds. With a quick flick of his wrist as they soak in his waters, they meld and smooth into a makeshift cover-up.

All the while, Shiro continues to gape.

"See, now I can take you there," Lance feels comfortable saying now that he's sufficiently clothed.

"Lance," Hunk says again, but this time it's in the form of a resigned sigh as opposed to a desperate plea. Lance is pleased with himself for being able to get his way without even having to argue for it.

Lance tosses Hunk an, "It'll be fine!" before turning his attention back to Shiro. "So, how about it? Would you rather stay here by the riverbed, or do you want to come back to my humble abode to rest?"

"I'm not sure if I should really trust you," Shiro begins, which Lance huffs at impatiently; if he still had his tail, he would've definitely splashed Shiro again. "But I suppose I don't really have much of a choice."

Lance gives Shiro a single smile before he helps Shiro up onto his feet. His legs are a bit unsteady after having not been used for long, but he gets used to the feeling of walking soon enough. Several of his ravine's fish swim towards them, poking their heads out curiously. It's been awhile since Lance has left the waters, after all. Lance dips the tips of his toes in briefly to reassure and ask them to protect his enchanted jewels before drawing away. Hunk, too, helps to haul Shiro onto his feet despite his grumbling, Lance's tail slung over his other shoulder, and they're off.

"So, Lance, you're an undine, and Hunk is a gnome?" Shiro asks. Despite his injuries, he moves quite well. Not completely steady, but, even if Lance and Hunk weren't helping him, Lance is sure that Shiro would be able to make his way somewhere by himself eventually. He's resilient, at the very least.

"Yup! You know, we were revered by you humans not even a century ago," Lance responds. "Our offerings were always plentiful, and we gave you plenty of fine goods and other rewards in return."

"And now you guys barely know who we are," Hunk cuts in, lamenting.

"I'm sorry," Shiro whispers, and now Lance is the one who has to lament how unfairly cute he is.

"It's fine. What could you have done about it? It all happened long before you were born." Lance pauses to readjust his grip on Shiro. He has Shiro's flesh arm hanging around his shoulder, and it feels impressively firm and toned. Lance suspects that Shiro must be a fighter of some kind. Lance wonders if he's considered a warrior, knight, or something else by his people.

He's not sure if he'll ever really know. "Anyway, maybe this - us being forgotten - is just the way things are meant to be."

No one has time to respond before they reach Lance's home on land. He gently hands Shiro over to Hunk before casting the spell to disillusion the home Hunk had so lovingly built for him. Hunk sticks around just long enough to help plop Shiro down onto the large bed before handing Lance his tail with a dissatisfied grumble.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Lance," Hunk whispers. He immediately starts gnawing at his lips nervously before speaking again. "What if he tries to hurt you?"

"Come on, Hunk. Does he really seem like the kind of guy to hurt me? Besides, I feel like he's too injured to do much damage before I got the chance to strike back."

"Fine, but I better not find you dead tomorrow morning."

"Of course you won't. I would never leave you. You'd get too lonely."

Eventually, Hunk leaves to return back to his own home. For the first time in almost a century new gnomes had been born in their domain, and Hunk's in charge of training most of them. And they're such cute little things, too.

"This is a nice place," Shiro breathes, surveying the room curiously. "Larger than I had expected a cottage tucked away in the woods to be."

"That's because Hunk built it for me, and you know how great a gnome's craftsmanship is," Lance says as he rummages around to find something for Shiro to drink. "Or, seeing as you don't know anything about Elementals, I guess you don't."

"But I'd like to know," Shiro says hastily, leaning towards Lance quickly. Unsurprisingly, Shiro's battered body doesn't appreciate the sudden movement. Lance clicks his tongue impatiently, the way his mother had done so, so many years ago, as he urges Shiro to lay back down.

"I'd like to know more about you guys, if you'd be willing to tell me," Shiro continues, voice lilting in a plea full of childish awe and earnestness that doesn't clash with his appearance as much as Lance thought it would.

Lance is surprisingly tired from what happened that day, and he suspects that Shiro must be absolutely exhausted after nearly dying. He doesn't show it, though. Instead, Shiro just continues to look up at Lance with those big, wanting eyes of him that leave Lance breathless.

Yet also a touch scared.

Lance had always figured that one of the reasons humans didn't interact with Elementals or many other magical creatures was because humans simply didn't live long enough. Lance's mother used to tell him pretty, sugar-spun tales of older days when mortals and other creatures interacted with each other more. Humans, in particular, had loves roaming around, wandering into areas they had no business being in just to meet and thank some magical creature.

Lance's mom would regale him with stories filled with laughter, camaraderie, funny misunderstandings, and even love, all of which Lance adored soaking up, like the crystal clear water of that big lake they used to live in together that had dried up ages ago.

Except, each story ended with a sad sigh and wistful look directed somewhere far away that Lance had never been able to find. Humans were fragile things that never lived long, after all. It was hard for humans to watch their magical companions stay youthful as they grew older and even harder for them to leave everyone else behind.

Regardless, Shiro is just too pretty and curious, like a giddy child. In the grand scheme of things, Lance supposes that Shiro _is_ a bit of a child compared to Lance. In terms of their respective lifespans, he's probably more mature than Lance, but there are so many things Shiro hasn't seen or experienced. He's never seen the solstice celebration of the sprites, how they bloom and dance while bathed in sunlight, or felt the healing touch of a unicorn because they've been long extinct.

Shiro has never heard the poetry of a centaur, both beautiful and heart-wrenching, because the centaurs went into hiding years ago, so deep that Lance hasn't even caught sight of one for almost two centuries, or the soothing song of the Fenghuang that only flies over these parts on the rarest of occasions, feathers ablaze and burning down the sky.

And, while he can't be certain of it, Lance suspects that Shiro has never watched his mother doom herself to die because -

'Mother, the mortals are sucking our lake dry! We have to go and find others waters to live in.'

'Lance, you know I can't. These are the only waters I know. Who will care for those who use it if I'm not here to watch over it?'

'Does it matter? Obviously they don't care about us at all. Why should we care for them?'

'My dear Lance, this is simply our duty as undines.'

And she had done so well. Those waters were pristine and filled with polished crystals imbued with all kinds of magical enchantments up until the moment it had finally been completely sucked dry. From afar, like the cowardly child he was, Lance had watched the mortals scramble to collect the jewels left behind. In Lance's eyes, that had been absolutely useless after her death, the magic worn off, but the mortals just loved their shiny trinkets far more than they valued life.

Lance looks at Shiro and takes in his haggard and bruised appearance and thinks that, despite having seen nothing yet, perhaps Shiro at least knows how selfish others can be.

Lance's feet finally move, drawing him closer to where Shiro rests on the bed, still eager and hopeful. He sits himself down beside Shiro gently, once again takes in the powerful line of his jaw, the depth of those eyes almost hidden by his wonder, and thinks that, yes, Shiro is still so young, and yet he is a man.

"Alright, I'll tell you some of the basics, first."

Shiro listens intently as Lance tells him about the Elementals. Undines like him who protect and purify the waters and what lies beneath the surface. Animals, plants, and the sparkling jewels seeped in magic. Nature itself gives them power, and Elementals simply serve to shape it.

There are gnomes like Hunk who steady the ground while digging up precious gems to leave them where they can best receive power. Of course, mortals have an annoying tendency to collect those crystals before they can actually be of proper use, all for the sake of simple adornment.

Shiro chuckles at that, eyes heavy with either contentment or exhaustion - probably both - before speaking. "Even so, I think you'd look great with some sapphires or pearls hanging around your neck."

"Well, I think I look perfectly fine without any of that," Lance refutes.

"That's an understatement," Shiro hums, voice low and graveled, and it takes Lance far too long to swallow down his blush deep enough for him to speak again.

When he does, Lance talks next about the sylphs, flighty little things that power the winds who also tend to be the most curious. They can't exactly help it, Lance concedes. When they see so much, riding the waves of the breeze, it must be natural.

Finally, there are salamanders, the most elusive of them all. They live deep within crevices of the Earth, hot breath fueling the base of everything. Lance, in all his years, has only seen a handful of salamanders himself, and he's actually spoken to fewer. From his experience, salamanders aren't exactly the best at conversation.

Shiro falls asleep quickly after Lance's explanation, but when he wakes the next day, he is already ready for more. He is well, but still not in prime condition to actually go out and do much. Lance is also well, his tail safe where he had previously left it, so he figures that there's no harm in indulging Shiro further.

He tells Shiro about the local wood elves who are not nearly as beautiful as everyone thinks elves are - certainly not much prettier than any undine Lance has ever known. They're smart and respectful enough, however, so Lance tolerates them, despite the fact that have a habit of accidentally disillusioning his land house. At least they've never taken anything from it.

Lance also tells Shiro about the little water fireflies that mortals have such a hard time seeing. It’s such a shame, too, because they glow with the prettiest baby blue light within the bubbles they call home. He also includes a story about a pet kelpie he had as a child that had been surprisingly tolerant of his younger antics, even more willful than they are now. Of course, Lance makes sure to mention the infant naga Lance had also tried to keep as a pet until his sister had quickly pulled it out of his hands before its mother had noticed.

Shiro listens to these stories and more over the course of a few days while he rests. Hunk, too, visits often. At first, Hunk greets Shiro with a distinct wariness, but he soon grows comfortable sharing his own stories with Shiro who laughs, smiles, and eats them all up so sanguine. It's so much like watching a beloved babe eating food for the first time that Lance can’t help but smile.

One day, Lance decides that he, too, wants to ask a question.

"What happened to you, anyway?" Lance asks. "I heard some fighting near the ravine when I found you."

Shiro remains silent for some time after Lance's question, eyes downcast and expression fierce. Just as Lance opens his mouth to retract his question because it hurts him a surprising amount to see Shiro so upset, Shiro responds.

"The Galra. We're at war with the Galra."

This time, it's Lance's turn to steep them in silence. Lance knows of the Galra and thinks of them quite fondly. Amongst all of the mortal species, Galrans are some of the few who still carry a fair amount of affection towards the spirits and such. Every so often, Lance will see small Galran children rushing down towards his ravine, nearly tripping, and then sometimes actually tripping, on the way down.

They come baring sentimental trinkets and the occasional gem as offerings, and Lance can't help but meet them with a happy smile. He always makes sure to play with them, gently flicking tiny water droplets onto them with his tail. He summons the fish and other animals to play too, allowing them to nibble lightly on their small, purple hands. For as long as their visits last, all Lance does is try his best to make those little ones laugh before they're eventually summoned away by their parents.

Overall, Lance finds the Galrans cute and sweet, and he adores them quite a bit. He can't imagine those little kids growing up to fight in a war. But, Lance has never really understood what went on in the minds of mortals.

So, in the end, Lance replies with a small, "That's... sad."

"Yeah," Shiro says in return, and they let the matter fall through the uncomfortable cracks between them until it disappears.

Another day, Shiro runs a fever. Lance calls Pidge over in a frenzy, yelling her name out into the sky over and over again at the top of his lungs before she finally appears.

"What do you want?" Pidge hisses, sniffing at Lance, clearly annoyed. Lance doesn't care.

"He has a fever, and I don't know what to do. What if it's an infection?" Lance whimpers, and, _oh_ , he's tearing up. He hadn't even realized until Pidge points it out to him.

Pidge, to her credit, examines Shiro thoroughly in spite of Lance's tears and the fact that Shiro is literally just some random human holed up in Lance's enchanted house. She flits about Shiro for awhile, opening his eyes and his tongue and doing all other strange little things that Lance doesn't entirely understand because undines and the like simply don't get sick like this. They're not weak like humans.

Finally, Pidge steps back with a sigh and a shrug. "I don't think it's an infection. I think it's just a normal human sickness, probably from stress. He'll be fine with some rest."

"Are you sure?" Lance asks.

"Even if I'm not, who else can you ask about this stuff?"

Lance concedes that point to her before setting to work to take care of Shiro. He's not entirely sure what he's supposed to do, but he fusses and tips plenty of water and soothing stews down Shiro's throat. Two days later, Shiro is still sick but at least coherent.

At least, Lance thinks he's coherent until Shiro croaks out, "You know, Lance, I really thought you were an angel when I first saw you."

Lance snorts as he presses a fresh washcloth to Shiro's forehead. "As if I actually look like an angel."

"But you do," Shiro whispers, tilting his head so his cheek brushes against Lance's arm like a lonely kitten. "You were so beautiful I thought I had died and gone to Heaven, and I thought that maybe dying had been worth it." He pauses, coughs a bit, and then speaks again. "Of course, I should've known that wasn't the case. I'd never be able to go to Heaven."

The breath Lance sucks in is too heavy and spiked in his throat for him to reply. So, in his place, Shiro just rambles even more. "But I'm glad that I didn't die because then I wouldn't have met you."

Lance doesn't cry, but it's a close thing. Still in a fevered haze, Shiro reaches up his hand slowly to rest it against Lance's cheek. It's rough and clammy from all of Shiro's sweat and really not pleasant, but Lance can't bring himself to break the moment. So, he sits there until Shiro drifts back to sleep and craves for the touch's return in his own slumber.

Then, after a few more days pass, Shiro is just about recovered from his injuries, and some young man is racing through the forest like a mad man, yelling out Shiro's name.

"Oh," Shiro says as he steps out of the house, blinking his eyes up at the sky like he doesn't remember what it's like to exist outside of the small room he had been hidden away it. "I think that's Keith."

"Keith?" Lance wonders.

He gets his unasked question answered soon enough. As soon as Shiro steps out of the enchanted shroud that hides Lance's home, another human, a bit younger and much more rough, barrels past the trees quickly to where Shiro's standing, dumb and confused.

Lance, too, stands dumb and confused, but at least he's still hidden away so no one can see it.

"Shiro!" The man exclaims, throwing his arms around Shiro tightly. From what he can see, this new human is smaller than Shiro, but the way his arms flex around Shiro's broad shoulders show that he also has a bit of muscle to him. For a moment, Lance is even able to catch of glimpse of his face; he's definitely younger than Shiro, with longer hair that falls in the strangest ways, and big, adoring eyes as he looks up at Shiro. Later, Lance will admit that there's something endearing about this newcomer, but he's not in the mood to now.

He's even less inclined to think so as he continues to watch them. After recovering from his brief moment of shock, Shiro reciprocates the embrace by wrapping his own arms around the other man. This new human tucks his face into the crook of Shiro's neck, and the backs of his shoulders rise as he inhales, deep and desperate. In return, Shiro wraps his arm firm over the other man's head, nuzzling his nose against the side of his head while lacing his fingers in his hair

And that is where Lance stops watching in favor of retreating back into his hidden house to wait for them to just _leave_. He ignores the way Shiro calls for him a few minutes later and just sits. Lance also ignores the sting between his eyes and tear at his chest as the scene plays through his mind over and again. His legs itch and burn with the desire to have his tail wrapped around him again, safe and assured, so he can dive back into the waters and just have the sound of lapping waves wash away all thoughts of Shiro.

'Maybe this,' Lance thinks to himself as Shiro and the other human - Keith, Lance belatedly realizes - finally leave, 'is why we don't talk to humans anymore.'

So, after they're gone, Lance grabs his tail and sprints to his ravine before quickly slipping it on and holing himself down into his little underwater abode for another few days. He's more upset than he probably should be, but it's there regardless, and it makes the animals nervous.

When Lance does resurface, it's in response to the sound of Hunk's frantic voice echoing through the rocks and crevices surrounding his ravine. As upset as he is, Lance hates to make Hunk worried, so he swims up quickly to reassure him that he's fine, just a bit mopey.

And Hunk is there, right at the edge of the river, but Shiro is also there with him, hiding behind the nearby bushes. Lance tosses his best angry face Hunk's direction, but Hunk just shrugs before leaving behind a, "You're welcome," reverberating through the bedrock as he walks away.

"Please, Lance! Please don't go!" Shiro yells, right as Lance is about to dive back underwater. "I've been looking all over for you these past few days. I was worried something might've happened to you."

Lance scoffs, tail thrashing uncontrollably, which is annoying in itself because now Shiro knows just how agitated Lance is. "I'm not sure why you'd care."

Shiro furrows his brows, looking at Lance with a heavy glaze of confusion over his face that would've been cute several days ago. Now, Lance just feels angry with himself at the sight.

"What do you mean?" Shiro asks. He walks towards the river slowly, only stopping when Lance dips his head down lower in the water. "Of course I care."

"Because I saved you, right?" Lance asks, words floating bitterly just above the water's surface.

Shiro shakes his head and stars approaching Lance again, undeterred. "No, Lance! Because I like you! Please, just tell me what I did to upset you, and I'll try to fix it! Was I because I accidentally lead Keith to your house? I really didn't think he was that close, I promise."

At the mention of the other human's name, Lance dips even further down into the water. He wants to be angry, but he knows he has no right to. So, he instead chooses to run away be a coward once more.

Except, Shiro is apparently a better swimmer than Lance had anticipated. Right before Lance's tail finishes its stroke, Shiro's hand is gripping onto Lance's arm, unyielding. Lance can't stop the brief splay of his scales from the shock of it all, and he isn't able to retract them until Shiro's blood is already trickling into his waters again.

Lance hears Shiro let out a pained hiss, but his grip doesn't let up at all. On the other hand, Lance pushes them quickly to the edge of the water before helping Shiro out.

"What were you thinking, suddenly grabbing an undine like that?" Lance demands. Shiro only has a few shallow pinpricks on his thigh, thankfully. More importantly, Lance didn't let loose any poison, so he's confident that Shiro's going to be fine.

Shiro, too, doesn't look especially perturbed by his wounds. Instead, his eyes, so concerned and naive again, are still locked onto Lance's face. "I was just thinking about how I couldn't let you disappear from me again."

Lance just sighs, exhausted. "What does it matter? You found your partner, Keith, right? So isn't it time you go back to him and the rest of your humans and forget about us?"

Shiro doesn't answer immediately. Instead, he continues to stare at Lance with that annoyingly cute expression of his. It makes Lance antsy, and he's in the middle of planning his escape when Shiro asks, "What exactly do you mean by 'partner'?"

Lance cocks his head to the side. "What do you mean, what do I mean? He was your partner, no? As in, lover?"

Shiro stares again for some time, which Lance is beginning to become increasingly miffed by, before he starts laughing, and that just upsets Lance even more. His carefully planned escape is thwarted, however, by Shiro simply resting a gentle hand on Lance's cheek. Unlike that time when Shiro was sweat and fever-addled, the touch is warm and wonderful.

"Lance," Shiro says, running his thumb slowly across Lance's cheekbone, "Keith's not my lover. He is something like my partner, but that's only in the sense of us being fellow knights who fight together. I consider him more of a brother than anything else."

"Oh." Lance is suddenly caught in a torrent of embarrassment over his own reactions, and he hates it.

"Is that why you were upset, then? Because you were jealous?"

"I was not jealous!" Lance refutes, even though he is sure that his hot flush gives him away.

"It's fine if you were," Shiro says, leaning forward to the point where Lance can feel Shiro's soft exhales whispering against his own lips. "Because that means you like me too, right?"

"I don't know. I thought that you were saying you liked me as a friend."

Shiro's breath approaches closer, yet still remains soft. "Oh, no. I like you so much more than that."

Lance feels himself tilting his face towards Shiro's in turn. He wonders if he shouldn't but then decides he wants it too much to care. "Yeah?"

"Yeah."

Up to that point, Shiro had been fairly soft and calm despite his large and somewhat intimidating frame, like a still-nursing behemoth. Except, now he presses his body down against Lance's with passionate determination, and his kisses dig deep for something Lance isn't sure he has.

Shiro seems satisfied with what he finds, regardless, because he pushes his tongue even further and all throughout Lance's mouth, and Lance _loves_ it. He hasn't been intimate with someone in some time, but he remembers and he wants.

But, he needs his legs for that, first.

"Off," Lance whines. Shiro pulls back quickly but not without a worried and bereft frown. "I just have to take of my tail," Lance clarifies. He quickly pulls it off before setting it down in his ravine. It's still within arms reach but only for Lance. "Now it's fine."

Shiro doesn't fall back onto Lance just yet, though. Instead, he removes his clothes, too; first his shirt, then his shoes, pants, and more. Lance had caught sight of most of Shiro's body before when he had taken care of him, particularly while Shiro was sick, but this is the first time Lance has gotten the chance to see Shiro completely naked.

While it had been a while since Lance had last slept with someone, he's still slept with a good number of people throughout his life. And yet, Lance is not sure that he's ever been with someone as _impressive_ as Shiro.

So, Lance welcomes Shiro's body pressed against his eagerly when it returns. Just like his kisses, Shiro's movements, the roll of his hips, flex of his arms, and pinch of his teeth is intense and all-encompassing. Lance loses himself in it all so quickly, whining and whimpering for more all the while.

"Shiro," Lance moans, legs quivering excitedly. "Oh, _Shiro_."

"Is that good?" Shiro breathes with another roll of his hips.

"Oh, yes," Lance groans, nuzzling his nose against Shiro's jawline before giving Shiro's chorded neck a number of kisses and nibbles. He also snakes one of his hands in the narrow space in-between their bodies to run his thumb over one of Shiro's nipples, leaving his moaning and shuddering.

Lance takes advantage of Shiro's moment of weakness to flip them over. Shiro may be a bulky and heft guy, but Lance is still an undine with a few tricks up his sleeve, even outside of the water. Lance also knows that there are a few useful plants scattered right beside them. He plucks a few and squeezes their stems until clear sap flows out.

"Lance? What is tha - " Shiro ends up choking on his own words as he spots Lance pushing one of his now lubricated fingers into his opening. Lance is reminded again just how long it's been since he's last done this; the breach isn't smooth and, honestly, isn't especially enjoyable, but he knows it could be worse.

And it only gets better when, suddenly, one of Shiro's fingers is joining his own. Lance had been so focused on himself that he hadn't even noticed Shiro squeezing a few of the plants for himself.

"Don't use them all at once," Lance teases. "We might need them for later."

"Don't worry, I'll bring some stuff next time."

Shiro adds in another finger a few minutes later, and Lance is finally starting to remember just how _good_ having sex can be.

When they both decide that Lance is sufficiently prepared, Lance rests two have hands down on Shiro's firm upper thighs, both for support and also to keep Shiro from thrusting upwards too much. Thankfully, Shiro gets the message and simply rests one hand on Lance's hip, the other on the base of his dick to steady it for Lance. After positioning himself, Lance lowers himself slowly and moans loud at the slide, so delicious and sweet and everything Lance didn't know he wanted.

For several minutes, Shiro lets Lance set the pace, slow at first but still so good. As Lance begins to speed up, so does both of their breathing.

"Fuck, Lance," Shiro groans. Lance can feel that way his hips twitch hungrily, but he still refrains from thrusting upwards, which Lance greatly appreciates. "You're amazing. Everything about you is amazing."

"And you're so good," Lance answers. "You feel so good, and you're doing so well, too, for a human."

Shiro tries to laugh at that, but it gets cut off by a strangled moan. Soon afterwards, Lance's movements become more erratic, and Shiro finally starts snapping his hips up to meet Lance. Lance doesn't mind it now, though, when he's so close to coming. The addition of Shiro's flesh hand, so large, warm, and gripping so perfectly around his cock makes everything all the better, and Lance is coming in no time. After a few more frantic thrusts, Shiro is also coming, and it feels sinfully good inside of Lance.

Spent, Lance begins to roll over, but he's stopped by Shiro who holds Lance close on top of him, heart beating strong. They lay there for some time, the sound of the gentle waves of Lance's waters lulling them into contented silence.

"Do you have to go today?" Lance asks quietly, and he is suddenly and inexplicably sad. "Back to Keith to fight your war?"

"No," Shiro responds, pulling Lance a touch closer. "Not today."

So he stays with Lance in his little hidden home that night, and several other nights afterwards. It's nice and quaint, peaceful in the moments between having sex. However, none of that changes the fact that Lance notices more and more scars and bruises littering Shiro's body as time passes.

Then, one day, as Shiro leaves, he turns and whispers to Lance, "The battles are coming closer. I don't know when I'll be able to visit next."

Lance nods because he, too, knows that the war draws near. He hears it approach, and, sometimes, he tastes the aftermath in his waters, and he always has to clean it quickly, lest his wildlife become agitated by it. It's becoming quite the upsetting chore . "That's ok. I'll be here when you come back."

They don't hug farewell because Lance is afraid that, if he embraces Shiro, he'll never want to let go, but they do share a kiss. But Shiro's a human with other human companions that he has his duty to. Lance is just some fanciful undine that Shiro had met in passing once upon a time.

A few days later, Lance tastes blood in his ravine once more, but this time it's familiar because it's Shiro's. There is no saving Shiro this time, Lance knows. How could he, when Shiro doesn't even have a heart to beat anymore?

He doesn't call Hunk or Pidge to help him drag Shiro's body into his waters. He uses his own magic, all by himself, and uses his waters to wear down at Shiro's body because Lance just can't stand to look at it anymore, not the way it is now. The blood still upsets his animals, so he bundles it up and goes to find the prettiest gem he has.

Lance finds one more piece of black diamond laying far on the bottom of his waters, a rough little thing a Galran child had given Lance ages ago. He takes it in his hand and pours Shiro's blood into it until he can't taste even the slightest hint of it anymore. Lance isn't sure what the resulting magic is because that's not the point. The point is to have a small piece of Shiro tucked far away in his humble, lonely little home for as long as he can take.

Lance closes his eyes and now tastes salt in his fresh waters.

Sometimes, he thinks that he'll give the diamond to that Keith guy Shiro was so fond of, but Keith never comes by, and Lance doesn't seek him out.

(He’s too selfish for that.)

He's not even sure Keith is still alive.

So, he keeps that pretty black diamond and never forgets about it, even as all the more years pass him by.

The first time Lance meets Shiro, he is not in love. Still, he misses him, and it hurts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please let me know what you think!
> 
> if you want to talk to me or are interested in a writing commission, you can find me on [tumblr](https://fever-d-dreams.tumblr.com)


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